Let me smell the moon in your perfume...

What is it about the moon?



The moon conjures up mystery and romanticism...melancholy and hope...humor and longing.

It's spooky..it's pretty....it's full and it's new.

It waxes and wanes. Crescent and Gibbous.

It inspires religions...sciences...books...movies...poetry...art...and music, lot's of music.
Let's talk about some of these things (but probably not the religion aspect...just like in conversation, I'll rarely write about religion or politics)

The moon plays a big part in one of my all time favorite movies, "An American Werewolf in London". Loved the premise of this...the plot...the setting..the black humor..the soundtrack. I went to see this with an old friend (sorry, here comes the death part again), Dawn Leighton. Dawn was a good friend that I knew in high school, although we went to different schools and lived in different towns, we worked together. Dawn is no longer with us. Here is an article about Dawn..

https://www.rdhmag.com/career-profession/personal-wellness/article/16407411/remembering-dawn

That movie reminds me of Dawn, and I guess in a way, the moon reminds me of Dawn.

There's dozens songs about the moon that I love. They all bring me back to a time or a place with fond memories. The first I'll add the video (because I'm all about the video) and add my two cents...the rest, I'll just list.
Moondance - Van the Man

This song, this whole album, introduced me to Van Morrison. This was back in the day when discovering music was just that...discovering music. This was well before computers, google, itunes, and the ipad. You bought the album, you scoured the lyrics (if you were lucky enough to have them included with the album -usually on the sleeve), you got a clip here and there, read reviews in Rolling Stone, saw concert clips, read biographies. Although I was familiar with Van Morrison - I remember seeing him in The Last Waltz, which I saw at the Portland Twin Drive in - which coincidently, was located in Scarborough, not Portland , and the version of Caravan that he performed was , and still is, one of the best live performances I've ever seen (and is probably the clip I should have shown, but sort of off the subject of the moon now, isn't it?), but that movie hooked me on The Band, not Van at that point.

I digress.      

This album was my gateway to all things Van which I bought then listened to voraciously...especially the five albums he released from '68 to the early 70's. Astral Weeks, Moondance, His Band and the Street Choir, Tupelo Honey, and Saint Dominic's Preview...don't get much better than that. If you're not familiar, do yourself a favor and get familiar.

...So my memory was listening to this song on a walkman (yes a walkman...anyone under the age of thirty will have to ask their Mom or Dad what a walkman was) during a late night walk back from the other side of town. I was almost home...walking up Rhode Island Avenue...huge sky full of stars...October...last leaves fluttering in the trees and pushing the dead leaves that had accumulated in the street with each step, when the lyrics hit me...
"with the stars up above in your eyes
a fantabulous night to make romance
'neath the cover of October skies.
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
to the sound of the breezes that blow"
..and I thought, "This is perfect, I will never forget this moment, never forget how I feel right now"

And I haven't.

and besides, "fantabulous?"...cut it out.

Ain't music great?

Back on track Wildes, back on track...

So, I've decided to skip the art, and books and poetry and science aspects of what this blog started out as...but I will list a couple of other songs (but not the thousands that exist) that make me think of the moon and love, life, melancholy and the infinite sadness.

Some only have moon references, not necessarily in the title, but the reference is memorable (see the title of this blog). Most you probably know, if you don't google or youtube them, even if you do, take a minute to reacquaint yourself with some of these gems. Who knows, if you discover something, maybe this blog will be your everlasting memory of that song.

• Moonshadow - Cat Stevens..."Yes I'm being followed by a moonshadow..."
• Walking on the Moon - The Police..."Giant steps are what you take..."
• Romeo's Tune - Steve Forbert (see the title of this blog)
• Tom Waits has a few - Grapefruit Moon...I'll Shoot the Moon...Drunk on the Moon...Midnight Lullaby...and my favorite, New Coat of Paint..."We'll laugh at that old bloodshot moon in the burgundy sky"
• Moonlight Drive - The Doors...."Let's swim to the moon..."
• Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival..."Don't go round tonight..."
• Moonlight Mile - Rolling Stones..."Oh I'm sleeping under strange strange skies..."
• There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon) - B-52's..."If you're in outer space, don't feel out of place..."
• Harvest Moon - Neil Young..."Because I'm still in love with you..."
• Here Comes the Moon - George Harrison. Really.
• Clair De Lune (Moonlight) - Debussy. Absolutely one of the best melodies ever written
• Pink Moon - Nick Drake..."I saw it written and I saw it say, pink moon is on it's way..."
• Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest. One hit wonder, but it's a good one.
• Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd. C'mon.
• Buffalo Girls - Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life..."Buffalo girls won't you come out tonight and dance by the light of the moon.."

...and a million more.

One last thing.

good night stars
goodnight air
goodnight noises everywhere